Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the eighteen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $231.8824.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WSM. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $248.00 price target (up from $200.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, July 27th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $253.00 target price for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $192.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 14th.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 2.9%

NYSE:WSM opened at $235.37 on Friday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $232.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $207.54. The stock has a market cap of $27.71 billion, a PE ratio of 26.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.50. Williams-Sonoma has a fifty-two week low of $165.51 and a fifty-two week high of $254.89.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.85 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is currently 34.04%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,962,117.33. This represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $3,000,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $184,704,800. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 18,156 shares of company stock worth $3,738,699 over the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WSM. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. MidFirst Bank acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% during the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Williams-Sonoma

Williams‑Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on the home and culinary markets, best known for premium cookware, kitchen tools and home furnishings. The company traces its roots to a single cookware store founded by Chuck Williams in 1956 in Sonoma, California, and has evolved into a multi‑brand home furnishings and housewares business. Its merchandise mix spans cookware and kitchen electrics, tabletop and food prep items, furniture, bedding, lighting and decorative accessories designed for both everyday use and higher‑end interiors.

The company operates a portfolio of consumer brands that target distinct segments of the home market.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source